Chaka C. Hajji has held multiple roles in education, serving as a teacher, coach and school principal. In each role, she has guided teams of committed educators while supporting diverse students and families. Currently, she is the director of schools at Rocketship Public Schools, where she is shaping learning environments with a commitment to excellence.
In an interview with Education Insider, Hajji outlined her professional journey and detailed her current responsibilities. She also explained the emerging trends and challenges in the industry, highlighting strategies for building responsive and supportive educational settings that foster student growth throughout their academic experience.
Driving Excellence with Coaching and Collaboration
Once school is in session, my day involves working alongside principals and school leaders, coaching them in real time and supporting teachers as they deliver lessons, manage classrooms and make data-informed decisions. I lead professional development for educators and guide principals in coaching their teams effectively.
When I’m not on campus, I collaborate with the vice president of schools and directors of operations to ensure systems are aligned and financial and academic decisions are made to support strong outcomes. One of our core pillars is family engagement, and I actively partner with families to elevate student success. Whether addressing concerns or working with parent leaders to advocate for our charter network, my role is deeply grounded in building strong, responsive schools. At the heart of it all, I’m here to move kids from where they are to where they desire to be.
Understanding Barriers to Learning
Every day brings a new challenge. Children advance to the next grade level without developing grade-level reading skills. Research shows that students who enter third grade below reading level face higher risks of poverty, poor health and dropouts. But the challenge doesn’t stop at comprehension.
Access to technology remains one of the most urgent and overlooked challenges. While AI tools and digital platforms offer transformational opportunities and redefine how students learn, connect and build skills, many children in low-income communities are still shut out of this progress. They lack basic resources like headphones, reliable internet and working devices.
These missing essentials become roadblocks in classrooms meant to prepare leaders and innovators. When students don’t have the tools to participate, they’re not just left behind; they’re denied access to the skills that shape opportunity and success. If we genuinely believe in equity, the future must be built with every student in mind.
Fueling Progress through Resilience and Partnership
At Rocketship, I work relentlessly to ensure every teacher, regardless of subject, is rooted in literacy fundamentals. We’re building strong readers from kindergarten through fifth grade, equipping them to make sense of the world and shape their own. We’re proud that organizations and nonprofits seek us to pilot their innovative programs and tools.
“We’re not just focused on the technical skills; we want students to speak articulately and clearly about what they have done in their projects. Teachers guide kids who are unsure of the purpose of these activities and help them gain clarity and think more broadly.”
One of Rocketship’s unique strengths is how we personalize learning through focused content areas and our dynamic learning lab. Our lab helps students explore robotics, coding and AI tools through interactive activities and hands-on engagement across the campus, which blends enrichment and small group interventions, creating space for exploration and academic support.
Since our establishment 19 years ago, we’ve remained committed to ensuring each student gets what they need, when they need it. We extend that same commitment to our teachers, tutors, paraprofessionals and leaders, who receive ongoing development throughout the year and over the summer, including me.
Leading Change through Insight and Example
We recently partnered with Hello World CS, a program that teaches students computer science fundamentals for grade levels with minimal coding. Even in its early stages, it has sparked real success, and kids are building projects. It culminated with a showcase held at Google’s YouTube office where student displayed their work for families and staff.
We’re not just focused on the technical skills; we want students to speak articulately and clearly about what they have done in their projects. Teachers guide kids who are unsure of the purpose of these activities and help them gain clarity and think more broadly. Both kindergartners and creators engage deeply, and this process fosters awareness, experimentation and connection.
A Future where AI Delivers and Teachers Inspire
I often reflect on the future of instruction and the potential role of AI in education. Imagine a learning model where direct instruction is the initial delivery of new content, guided by computer programs or AI, allowing teachers to focus on emotional learning and culture-building. This shift could make classrooms more efficient, allowing students to spend less time passively receiving information and more time engaging and growing.
Tools like ChatGPT show how quickly core concepts can be learned, and it won’t be long before more schools adopt this model. It’s not about replacing educators, but redefining their roles. Teachers could spend less time analyzing data and more time responding meaningfully to students’ needs by challenging and supporting them.
Building Excellence through Trust
If you’re stepping into teaching or leadership, never forget that people are at the heart of it and relationships are the building blocks of excellent schools. Technology and AI can enhance learning, but our trust with students, families and staff fuels fundamental transformation. Real impact begins with understanding what motivates people. This helps families feel confident their child is safe, supported and growing emotionally and academically.
It is essential to recognize that grade-level reading isn’t just a benchmark; it’s a gateway. When students read fluently, they unlock curiosity, explore far-off places and learn independently. As you grow in this field, prioritize emotional intelligence. Build relational skills as intentionally as you build instructional ones.
